LING 49 “Introduction to Discourse Analysis” – Syllabus

Instructor Information

 Instructor: Richard Abend (Please call me Richard)

 Office: HSS 123
 Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 10:30 - noon, Wednesday 1-3 pm
 Office Telephone: (831) 646-4112
 E-mail: rabend@mpc.edu

Course Description

This course introduces theories and methodologies for the study of human discourse, or language
in use. Discourse history, assumptions and principles, verbal and nonverbal communication, as
well as society and culture's roles in a variety of discourse genres are discussed. Opportunities to
analyze both spoken and written discourse are offered.

As a native speaker of a language, you possess tremendous knowledge about language. Our
class will help you focus that information. As a matter of fact, you already know more about
your own language than the entire field of linguistics has discovered. Unfortunately, you are not
consciously aware of what you already perfectly know! But, this class will help you see it.

Enjoy our class and please stay in contact with me and the others of our group. It’s too easy to
get lost in cyber-space, and remember that you are not alone. We are all in this together! I enjoy
teaching and especially enjoy linguistics, so please feel free to contact me as often as you like. I
want you to succeed and also to enjoy our class. Let me help you do that.

To keep our class manageable, each week is organized similarly. Each Monday morning by 8
am, the week’s activities are ready for you on our class’ homepage. You will find links to that
week’s activities and resources. There are links for you to participate in our forums and take
quizzes. We will not exchange actual papers during the semester. Everything will be completed
electronically. Of course, save all your files because things sometimes do get lost.

MPC GE: Area A2 Area C Area D

TRANSFERABILITY: CSU; UC

Textbook

Required Text: A Beginner's Guide To Discourse Analysis by Sean Sutherland, Palgrave, 2016

Course Requirements

Internet connection (DSL, LAN, or cable connection desirable)

 Access to MPC Online

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This is a fully-online course. All course activities and resources can be found through our course
website on MPC Online. All of the learning activities are available 24 hours a day, seven days a
week. However, each activity has a time frame which is listed in the course. Please stay on
schedule with the class.

MPC Online Access & Technical Assistance

Visit the MPC Online login page (http://mpconline.mpc.edu) and follow the instructions to login.
To access this course on MPC Online, you will need access to the Internet and a supported Web
browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari). Visit the MPC Online Student Orientation &
Support link for information about accessing MPC Online, tips to help you get started, and
information about how to Contact the MPC Online Help Desk for support.

General Education Outcomes

MPC Area A2: Communication and Analytical Thinking

Upon successful completion of this area, students will have demonstrated an ability to analyze
and evaluate complex issues or problems, draw reasoned conclusions and/or generate solutions,
and effectively communicate their results.

MPC Area C, Humanities:

Upon successful completion of this area, students will have demonstrated an ability to analyze
and interpret human thought, achievement, and expression relevant to such branches of
knowledge as philosophy, literature, and/or the fine and performing arts, and to communicate the
results.

MPC Area D, Social Sciences:

Upon successful completion of this area, students will have demonstrated an ability to critically
examine and comprehend human nature and behavior, social traditions, and institutions.

OUTCOMES: Upon successful completion of this class, you will be able to:

1. Describe the history of discourse study.

2. Explain the relationship society, culture, and context have to discourse.

3. Analyze a written or spoken discourse.

COURSE OBJECTIVES: Upon successful completion of this course, students have

demonstrated the ability to:

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 1. Summarize discourse study past to present.

2. Describe the relationship of discourse and context.

3. Compare and contrast discourse models and theories.

4. Distinguish among contemporary discourse research methodologies.

5. Illustrate the roles of society, culture, and context in discourse.

6. Analyze a number of discourse genres.

7. Evaluate discourse effectiveness and morality according to the Cooperative Principle.

8. Identify how views of the world and identities are constructed through the use of discourse.

9. Apply the techniques of Discourse Analysis to propose the universality of human discourse.

You will meet the objectives listed above through a combination of the following activities in
this course:

 Reading our required textbook

 Participating in weekly forums
 Completing Chapter Quizzes
 Writing the final project

Weekly Topic Outline

WEEK ONE -

By the end of week one, you will be able to explain the meaning of "discourse."

Activities: Introduction Forum, Read the "Introduction" of class text; complete the "Introduction
Quiz."

WEEK TWO -

By the end of week two, you will be able to identify and create your own examples of Reference.

Activities: Read pages 1-14 in class text; complete forum posting/reply and quizzes.

WEEK THREE:

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By the end of week three, you will be able to find and create examples of substitution, ellipsis,
conjunction, and lexical cohesion in a text.

Activities: Read pages 14-27 in class text; complete forum posting/reply and quizzes.

WEEK FOUR:

By the end of week four, you will be able to analyze a spoken text in terms of reference,
substitution, ellipsis, conjunction, lexical cohesion, TCU's and TRPs.

Activities: Read pages 28-36; complete forum posting/reply and quiz.

WEEK FIVE:

By the end of week five, you will be able to use context to establish meaning and identify
Halliday's six "ideational metafunctions"

Activities: Read pages 37-50 in class text; complete forum posting/reply and quizzes.

WEEK SIX:

By the end of week six, you will be able to define schema and provide examples of your own
schemata.

Activities: Read pages 51-56 in class text; complete forum posting/reply and quiz.

WEEK SEVEN:

By the end of week seven, you will be able to define propositional and non-propositional
meanings, and situational, interpersonal, and cultural context and analyze the discourse of an
advertisement.

Activities: Read pages 57-66; complete forum posting/reply and quiz.

WEEK EIGHT:

By the end of week eight, you will be able to discuss language variation in phonological, lexical,
and grammatical terms.

Activities: Read pages 67-80; complete forum posting/reply and quizzes.

WEEK NINE:

By the end of week nine, you will be able to apply phonological, lexical, and social variables to a
discourse analysis.

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Activities: Read pages 81-90 in the class text; complete forum posting/reply and quizzes.

WEEK TEN:

By the end of week ten, you will be able to explain how language identifies its producer and
illustrate and analyze what your language says about you.

Activities: Read pages 90-99 in class text; complete forum posting/reply and quizzes.

WEEK ELEVEN:

By the end of week eleven, you will be able to explain and apply criteria used for analyzing a
discourse in terms of register.

Activities: Read pages 100-109 in class text; complete forum posting/reply and quizzes.

WEEK TWELVE:

By the end of week twelve, you will be able to analyze register and genre.

Activities: Read pages 110-126 in class text; complete forum posting/reply and quizzes.

WEEK THIRTEEN:

By the end of week thirteen, you will be able to analyze a text in terms of theme.

Activities: Read pages 127-142 in class text; complete forum posting/reply and quizzes.

WEEK FOURTEEN:

By the end of week fourteen, you will be able to produce and analyze examples of discourse
markers and implicature.

Activities: Read pages 143-157 in class text; complete forum posting/reply and quizzes.

WEEK FIFTEEN:

Activities: Read pages 157-166 in class text; Final Project announced.

WEEK SIXTEEN:

Activities: Complete Final Project Forum posting/reply.

Late Work Policy: Your responses to forum prompts are due by Thursday evening of each
week, your replies to other students’ postings are due by Saturday evening of each week, and

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your quizzes must be completed by midnight on Sunday of the appropriate week. Please contact
me immediately if you miss any of these deadlines.

Viewing Grades in MPC Online

Points you receive for graded activities will be posted to the MPC Online Grade Book.

Select Grades from the "Course Administration" menu at the top of the screen to view your
points. Quiz scores are updated immediately. Your Final Grade will be available three to four
days after the class completes.

Letter Grade Assignment

Final grades assigned for this course will be based on the percentage of total points earned and
are assigned as follows:

Letter Grade Percentage Performance

A 90-100% Excellent Work
B 80-89% Good Work
C 70-79% Average Work
D 60-69% Poor Work
F 0-59% Failing Work

Grading Criteria

Forums = 40% of the total points for this class. There are 14 forums during the
semester that total 245 points. To get full credit for this portion of the class grade (to
receive 40 points), you need to accumulate 200 points on your forum postings. This
means that it is not necessary for you to complete every forum or to get full credit for
each forum posting. Please keep track of your point totals in the forums to guide
you. Let me know if you have any questions about this portion of your grade.

Quizzes = 50% of the total points for this class. There are frequent quizzes so you
have plenty of opportunities to do very well in this area of the grading.

Final Project = 10% of the total points for this class.

Extra Credit Opportunities = 4-7 points directly added to your class average.

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Syllabus Lesson = 1 point; Introducing yourself with a
video (Forum Week One) = 2 points, Producing a video for Forum Week Eight = 1-4
points.

Important note: For more information about grading at Monterey Peninsula College, visit the
academic policies and grading section of the university catalog.

Course Communication

My first choice of communication with you is through email rabend@mpc.edu I respond to

emails seven days a week, usually within 12 hours. My second choice of communication is
through my on-campus office phone (831) 646-4112. Leave a message and I will return your call
within a day or less, seven days a week. If you don’t hear back from me within a day, please
email or call me again.

*It's crucial to your success in the class that you are using a current and often visited email
address/account. Email is our primary means of communication. Please double check that your
email address in this class is one you are currently and frequently using.

Participation

Students are expected to participate regularly in online forum activities and keep track of their
performance in the class.

Build Rapport

If you find that you have any trouble keeping up with assignments or other aspects of the course,
make sure you let me know as early as possible. As you will find, building rapport and effective
relationships are key to becoming an effective professional. Make sure that you are proactive in
contacting me when difficulties arise during the semester so that we can help you find a solution.

Complete Assignments

All assignments for this course will be submitted electronically through MPC Online unless
otherwise instructed. Assignments must be submitted by the given deadline or special
permission must be requested from instructor before the due date.

All forum assignments must be completed by the assignment due date and time. Late or missing
forum assignments will lower your grade.

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*You'll find completion check off boxes following each activity on our homepage. Check off a
completed activity by clicking in the box. It will help you keep track of what you have done.

Drop Policy: The number of times a student may attempt a class is limited to three times per
class by the California Community College system. To prevent any future problems, if you have
not completed at least one forum or quiz during the first two weeks of class, you will be dropped
without any record of you having registered for the class. Beginning in the third week of the
semester, a drop from the class is noted by a W on your official college transcript. The last day
to drop a class is the 12th week of the semester. It is your responsibility to drop the class after the
second week of the semester.

Incomplete Policy: Under emergency/special circumstances, students may petition for an

incomplete grade. An incomplete will be assigned if the only assignment missing is the Final
Project. All incomplete course assignments must be completed within one year.

Inform Your Instructor of Any Accommodations Needed

If you have a disability and would like to request accommodations, please contact the instructor
during the first week of the semester so that your accommodations may be provided in a timely
manner. Access Resource Center (SS&I) provides assistance in determining and facilitating
appropriate accommodations for students with verified disabilities. The SS&I office is located on
the first floor of the Student Services building (STS 115).

Monterey Peninsula College’s Academic Honesty Policy & Procedures

From the MPC Academic Catalog: Academic honesty is a cornerstone of the educational
community; therefore, students are expected to understand the standards of academic honesty as
they pertain to students’ behavior in the classroom.

Plagiarism

It is important for students to acknowledge sources that are used for completing classroom
assignments. Plagiarism is a form of academic dishonesty.

Plagiarism may be any one of the following:

1. Verbatim copying without proper documentation of the source(s).

2. Paraphrasing without proper documentation of the source(s).
3. Unacknowledged appropriation of information or ideas from someone else.

If students have any questions about these forms of plagiarism or about an assignment they are
preparing, they should ask their instructor for clarification rather than risk unintentional
plagiarism.

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Cheating

It is important for students to act in an honest and trustworthy manner. Work performed on
examinations or other forms of evaluation must represent an individual’s own work, knowledge
and experience of the subject matter. Students are expected to follow the classroom rules
established by the instructor.

Cheating may be any one of the following:

1. Unauthorized looking at or procuring information from any unauthorized sources or from

another student’s work during an examination or from any work that will be graded or
given points.
2. Unauthorized acquiring, reading or learning of test questions prior to the testing date and
time.
3. Changing any portion of a returned graded test or report and resubmitting it as an original
work to be re-graded.
4. Presenting the work of another as one’s own for a grade or points.
5. Knowingly assisting another student in cheating.

This list is not all-inclusive and the list itself is not meant to limit the definition of cheating to
just these items mentioned.

Consequences of Academic Dishonesty

The disciplinary action for cheating or plagiarism is up to the discretion of the instructor. The
instructor may select one or more of the following options:

Issue an oral or written notification and warn the student that further acts of this sort will result in
additional disciplinary action.

1. Issue an “NP” or a failing grade (“F”) or “0” for the assignment in question.
2. Refer the student to the Vice President for Student Services for disciplinary action.